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Friday, April 6, 2007

Is Department of Justice melting down? I just got back from the grocery store to discover more on the Rachel Paulose matter. It seems the two Minnesota senators are now refusing to discuss the leadership collapse at the Minneapolis office. Senator Schumer calls it an example of prosecutors being "deprofessionalized" under Gonzales.

The Carpetbagger Report blogs on the tragic lengths to which Wisconsin U.S. Attorney Steven Biskupic went to be a "Loyal Bushie" in last years election. Apparently as part of a thankfully failed Republican effort to unseat Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle, Biskupic brought a politically motivated but bogus case against a member of Doyle's administration and somehow won a 16 month conviction.

The three-judge panel in Chicago acted with unusual speed, ruling after oral arguments by Thompson’s attorney and the U.S. attorney’s office.

During 26 minutes of oral arguments, all three judges assailed the government’s case, with Judge Diane Wood saying at one point that “the evidence is beyond thin.” During a news conference later Thursday, Doyle, a former state attorney general, said the three judges did an “extraordinary thing” by entering an order finding Thompson innocent and ordering her immediate release.

Are there no depths the "Loyal Bushies" won't plumb to advance Karl Rove's political agenda?

The tragedy in this farce is that Biskupic's victim, Georgia Thompson, was subjected to a humiliating trial, spent 4 months in jail, had to pay for her defense, probably wrecking her financially, and lost her $77,000 per year state job, all to advance the political chances of some Republican politician.

“[T]he public must perceive that every substantive decision within the department is made in a neutral and non-partisan fashion. Once the public detects partisanship in one important decision, they will follow the natural inclination to question every decision made, whether there is a connection or not.” Bud Cummins.

UPDATE: At least one Milwaukee defense lawyer thinks Biskupic should be fired. His blog has a link to the audio of the oral argument. Skip to the last 15 minutes. It's a hoot. Rarely does a court ever trash a lawyer, especially a DoJ lawyer, so badly.

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